Corporation embarks on special drive at night to capture and sterilise street dogs

Workers capture a stray dog at K.K. Nagar in Tiruchi. 
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Tiruchi City Corporation has launched a special drive at night to capture street dogs in the city.

The initiative was launched 10 days ago following increasing complaints of street dogs attacking residents and commuters. About 125 stray dogs have been caught and sterilised at the city’s animal birth control centres so far.

Two vehicles, each with a team of four men, have been deployed to capture the dogs at night. Similarly, three vehicles are deployed for the task during the day.

Figures released by the Corporation showed that the pace of sterilisation had picked up considerably in the past year. In addition to the special drive, about 17,990 street dogs were sterilised between April 2023 and October 2024, with an ear notch made to indicate the animal had undergone the procedure. Anti-rabies vaccines have been administered to the animals.

The number of the street dogs in the city was estimated at 20,000. Officials said the rate of increase in the number will come down in the next two years as the pace of sterilisation drive had gained momentum.

At present, Tiruchi has four animal birth control centres at Ambedkar Nagar in Srirangam zone, Konakkarai in the Abishekapuram zone, J.J. Nagar in the Ponmalai zone and one near the dump yard in Ariyamangalam zone. Each centre is staffed with a veterinary surgeon.

The civic body has planned to intensify its sterilisation process in the coming months. “Complaints of stray dog menace, especially during the night, are increasing every day. We aim to completely sterilise the dogs within a few months as capturing them at night would be easy,” said a senior Corporation official.

Meanwhile, the city’s first animal rescue and rehabilitation centre set up at Konakkarai to accommodate around 25 injured and vulnerable street dogs became functional in October. At present, about 15 dogs are undergoing treatment there. A team of five workers manages the centre and the dogs are treated by the veterinarian. “Within a month of commissioning the centre, three dogs were treated and released back in heir original areas,” the official added.